January Newsletter 2025

Teri Ann Cox
Executive Director of The Children’s Center

Dear Center and Magic Moments Families,

2025 has arrived! As we kick off another year, I am reminded of the opportunity to start the new year fresh and with intention. While I am not one to declare new year resolutions, I do plan to take time and reflect more deeply on the impact of Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy.

Born on January 15, 1929, MLK Day is celebrated on a Monday close to the day he was born. 15 years after King’s death was when President Reagan signed a bill making the third Monday in January a federal holiday. I am sure we will all see again this year on social media copies of his recognizable image and various famous quotes including “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

While sharing inspirational quotes is appropriate, in doing so, we can miss the deeper points of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, or his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” or his address, “Our God is Marching On.” His teachings went beyond working towards equality, and included ending systemic racism, fighting for the right to vote, and valuing fairness, justice, and freedom for all.

For me, I plan to rededicate ending the racism found in my own life by continuing to learn about antiracism and acting when needed. No one becomes “not racist” simply by identifying themselves that way. We can only strive to be anti-racist by educating ourselves through following organizations who work on racial equity and justice, watching films and documentaries, and reading books, including children’s books written and/or illustrated by black authors and artists. Once we’ve learned better, as Maya Angelou said, we can do better.

In doing better, I need to hold our organization accountable for ensuring that we (both the adults and the children in our care) are living our program wide expectation of being respectful. In this diverse family, as well as in my own unique company of friends, calling out biased actions or hurtful words when I see or hear them needs to be the action taken. In doing so, I believe King’s legacy will be more fully honored and celebrated, not only on January 20, but each day.

With every good wish for a kind, healthy, and happy new year,

Teri Ann